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ditor’s Note: In the last three issues of Home a“ Country we have had progress report: of the ings of the Survey of Farm Home: and Home- ‘er: conducted by Home Eronomirs Service -' er the direction of Dr. Helen Abe”, Head of Rural Sociology Unit. Economic: Division. ado Department of Agriculture. The mate- in this article is taken from an address "The [e of Farm Women in the Next Ten Years" iDr. Abell to the Ontario Federation of Agri- ture. Farther report: from the survey will up- r in coming issues. N ATTEMPT to predict the role of farm women in the next ten short years would be . meaningless without an awareness of both in figurative and real association throughout his- “ between femininity and agriculture. 'The Romans worshipped Ceres as goddess of [A of agriculture but also as the guardian of triage. Who raised the maize in North America While :“ mighty hunter pursued wild animals or . oked his peace pipe? Who hoes the sugar beets 1.. other crops on thousands of pocket-handker- "ef sized farms in Europe and Asia today? How - y of you in this audience made arrangements V someone else to clean the milking equipment -"u gather or clean. the eggs while you were here . Toronto for a. day or two? “The part played in the past and being played w by women in helping their husbands with in work is so Well known to you. or is it? aybe some of you no longer perform any work ‘t became a farmer‘s wife?“ These women nged in age from 21 to 81 years (average 44). )1: had been farmers‘ wives for about 16 years "le the average. ranging from less than 4 to over years. They live in each and every county and strict of the Province of Ontario. 'Nearly all (98 out of 100) said they perform :1“ e work around the farm other than home- aking. What farm work do they do? 89 of Her)! it do gardening; 61 per cent either clean milkers 1 pails or help with the milking or feeding of tile; 53 per cent feed poultry and/or clean eggs: per cent keep the farm accounts; 26 per cent some field work and 13 per cent do some _-i er type of farm work such as driving a tractor ’1 some other machine, market some produce. etc. in figures relate to Ontario farm women. I uld show you almost identical findings from H dies We have done in other provinces of Can- Today farm women are a very real labour lot on our Canadian family farms. Much of '. . HT!!! 196! ' Future Role of Farm Women By Dr. Helen Abell this work such as keeping farm accounts. operat- ing farm machinery. handling eggs and feeding of livestock would have to be performed by the farmer or hired help if farm women confined their activities to homemaking. Now to the question of whether the amount of farm work has changed over the years for these Ontario women: About half of these 352 women (53 per cent) said they now do less work than when they first became farmers' wives. a quarter of them (25 per cent) said they do just as much now as formerly and almost as many (22 per cent) said they now do even more farm work. What were the reasons underlying these answers? There were five major types of reasons all of which reflect economic or social adjustments which these farm families have made and which will continue to face farm families far into the future. I. The first reason which was given by over 1/3 of the women, relates to the availability of the supply of farm labour. When the required mun- powcr is not available the more the homemaker helps out With farm work: where an adequate labour force (either husband. children or hired) is ' available. the wives do less farm work. 2. Almost U] of the women mentioned that the changes in the nature and size of farm operations affected the extent of their share of farm work. Shifts from dairy culllc to beef and vice versa show this clearly. 3. Personal factors relating to the homemaker, her health. age and in some cases her interest in farm work affect her share in it. 4. Changes in the family situation affected about 1') of tilt) farm wives. These changes com ccrncd the age. sex and presence or absence of children on the farm. 5. Although only 5 per cent of the women specified economic pressures as reasons for their doing more or less farm work, it is significant that several of those women who now do less farm work than formerly said that this was because they had taken on paid jobs in order to help out with the family income. What can we predict about the role of farm women in the future after considering these and other factors? Knowing full well that “a prophet is not without honour save in his own country" I venture to suggest that several things will happen: l. in order to maintain or to expand the size of farm business on many family farms more farm women will help their husbands and families by either sharing more and more in the farm work and the keeping of business records or by taking paid employment if and when available within commuting distance of their homes. 2. Farm women will increasingly realize the extent to which they and their husbands are joint- ly involved in decision-making concerning both the home and the farm and particularly the plan of farm finance. With this realization they will seek knowledge and understanding of such mat- ters as the principles of farm management. the 15